I am a sock genius! (Kids’ Sock-Matching Hack)

I’m not a good housekeeper. I try – honestly I do – and sometimes I do it well, and the kids lunches are made the night before, the rooms are all tidy, the dishes washed and the laundry done. But lots of times the laundry is NOT done – or at least is not folded – and I blame that entirely on the fact that my laundry room is in the basement and the basement has a door I can close. (Out of sight, out of mind)

So this inevitably leads to a school morning sock free-for-all, where my four boys dig through a MASSIVE pile of similar looking socks, trying to find a pair. I also have one sock-obsessed 6 year old who will only wear 3 of the 200 pairs we own, because “those 3 don’t get lumpy”.

After they left for school this morning in the usual whirlwind, I sat down guiltily to fold enough socks for the rest of the week. They all look so similar, but are all different sizes/ankle heights and it took me a good long while to match up 7 or 8 pair. I even tried to get my 4 year old to help me – by telling him we were playing a matching game (He loves those) That’s when inspiration grabbed me!

I ran to the kitchen to grab some colored sharpies. I drew shapes on the feet-part of matched pairs, so they will be easy to spot in a pile. My 4 year old yelled out which shapes he wanted me to draw, and I just went at it. Here are a few:

I think this will help the kids find their matches in the morning – when mom’s dropped the ball (Let’s just be honest, it’s going to happen again). Not only that – the little ones will think it’s fun to dig out matching pair and hand them to me – like a game!

Heck, I might up the ante and throw some alphabet letters on the next batch – so we can practice our letters!

Do you have any little tips you would like to share that help you in everyday life? I thought it might be fun to post some practical reader-tips once in awhile, so leave your comment and I might contact you to do a post like the one I just did above!

Comments

I have three small boys and an infant daughter. I match their socks with putting the letter of their first initial with a # beside it with each matching pair. Not only does it help the boys to help match their socks, but also the hubby! They all wear the same type of underwear and two of the boys are really close to size, so I put their first name initial on the inside of the band to tell them apart to. However, don’t worry; my laundry is never completely done or put away. Let’s just say I’m leaning toward a different method of organizing my laundry room for their very own baskets of colors and whites to show them the ropes of responsibly of putting their own clothes away.

My husband suggested this a couple of weeks ago when we were purchasing socks for our big family! We’re newly married and together have 7 kids – 5 still live at home. Everyone in the house has their own color, not only on their socks but also on the calendar and the little kids have their own color plastic cups and bowls (really helps keep the kids from drinking after each other and spreading germs during cold/flu/strep seasons!

I just found the most amazing trick ever!! If you take a new dryer sheet and wet it really good, it will get the soap scum off of shower doors. I tried it and it really worked!! I just scrubbed it around a few times and rinsed off the softener and the scum alomst sild off!! Try it!!

I dont have that no more cause my kids are grown now, but i did have this problem, it is just me and my huband, everytime i wash (whites) , i am always missing a (one)socks, it drives me nuts, and we are in are 50′s, i still lose socks,i always tellmy huband the washer or dryer eats them…does any one else have this problem.;-)